Dr. Rocky and Chris Norland showed up at Nanaimo about 1330 on Sat. 22 June 02. Since I had done the shopping the day before, and they already had their fishing licenses (got them at the Vancouver airport) all we had to do was get some crab bait and depart. So off we went to our first anchorage at Deep Bay just south of Comox. The next day we buzzed Gorge Bay while waiting for the tide to be right to get around Cape Mudge and enter Discovery Passage to get to April Bay. Real good chow at the lodge.

Got up and under way by 0400. Two guys in the bow to look for logs until we got more light in the sky. Hit Seymour Narrows right at the slack before the ebb at 0454. Made rapid time to Turn Cove to find it completely taken over by a logging operation, so we went to Blenkingsop Bay, near Port Neville, instead.

At Seymour Narrows

Neer Blenkingsop Bay

Went to Echo Bay. Not great. Gale and storm predicted for Queen Charlotte St. and Sound, easing off tonight. Took off the next morn in the fog and rain headed for Blunden H but got another gale warning for Queen Charlotte Sound for tomorrow so we decided to cross the sound today and hide in Fury Bay to weather the gale. Got lots of fog but no gale. Next day headed for Kwakume Inlet to weather the gale forecast for that afternoon. 7 rock fish and one female crab (released) but no gale. Now we were ahead of schedule so we detoured to Ocean Falls. Home of “real” people. Walked around the almost ghost town, had dinner at The Dock, hitched a ride to the store (open from 1900 to 2000), walked back in the rain.

Chris and Rocky

Rocky and Chris

Headed for Oliver Cove on Sat. Rain, fog, really low scattered clouds, 38 kn winds (for a little while) in Milbanke Sound – finally, the gale. Gale warnings again the next day as we entered Fjiordlands. 6 days of gale warnings in the past 7. Windy Bay.

Along the way

Butedale Falls

Next to Bishop Bay Hot springs. Vundabar. No dock, no mooring balls. Anchored. Tied the stern to a Christmas tree on shore. Bathed. Soaked.

Lawson H. on Porcher I. Saw a wolf. Next day while attending to anchor retrieval, Rocky got a wounded finger. Went to Prince Rupert where he ended up in the emergency room for 6 stitches. Then we had all day to go to the Laundromat, do the shopping for the next crew, etc. so we did. Got chow, got booze. Then, while carrying it down the steep, wet dock ramp, my feet slid out from under me and down I went on my bum (in Canada you know) and my elbow. My bum was OK but my elbow was bleeding like hell. Couldn't stop it. Went to the emergency room. 150$. X-ray. Ruptured artery. Three stitches. Compression bandage. Tetanus shot. I told the doctor that I couldn't possibly have less then 7 stitches, but he seemed to think that 3 were enough. I told him about Rocky. We compromised - we would lie. Seven stitches.